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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Cindy invite Beth to do?

2. What does Robert tell Beth soon after their arrival at their new home?

3. Why is Beth hesitant about Robert's request?

4. In what state is Beth and Robert's new town located?

5. Beth's first patient as a home health worker is a woman with __________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. What preparations are made for Robert to go to his new school?

2. What does Frannie recall about the first time Bobby hit her?

3. How does Frannie first encounter Patty Bancroft?

4. How has the move to Florida impacted Beth's relationship with Robert?

5. Were there ever any good moments in Frannie's marriage to Bobby?

6. Why does Frannie feel a sense of guilt regarding her injuries?

7. What does Beth do to make the duplex a little more homey?

8. Why is Beth hesitant to allow Robert to go off by himself in the grocery store?

9. What is Beth's new job and why is she relieved to have it?

10. What is the nature of Beth's encounter with Mike Riordan in the grocery store?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Fear seems to be almost an unnamed character in the book. How pervasive is the sense of fear? Why does it have such a prevalent place in Beth's life? Explain how an inanimate object or characteristic can be a character.

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two other examples you can identify in the novel and note why they are examples of irony.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the role of the family in BLACK AND BLUE. What does it mean for each of the main characters? How does the concept of family evolve in Beth and Robert's situation as they find other people who fill the typical family roles?

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